


Come Back to Me

by Fanofthearts



Category: Holby City
Genre: F/F, Kinda Fluffy, Reunion, Spies, WWII, barns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-17 23:48:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17570264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fanofthearts/pseuds/Fanofthearts
Summary: During the war Serena finds peace in a old barn on her husbands land in France. One morning she discovers she’s not alone.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Vichy France is not my historical strong point, I've taken MANY liberties with the era to make the story work. I do apologize if you are a WWII history nut reading this. This is based loosely on Nancy Wakes life, if you've never heard of her I recommend you look her up. 
> 
> Thank you as always to Iordio <3

“Rena! Rena!” Edward’s booming voice pierced through the peaceful countryside like a shot from a gun. A tall man, Edward was dressed in a pressed uniform of the Vichy regime. His boots squeaked as he trudged across the tall wet grass, away from the house near the ruisseau that ran through the farm. The slope of the land giving way to a beautiful dell; the sun shining high in the sky. It was nearing midday, knowing his wife wouldn’t be expecting him home so soon he was still surprised not to see her in the house when he popped home for lunch. 

Stepping out of the dell, he sighed as he saw her stepping out of the old grange. It was a stone building, older than both him and his wife combined. It had been through the wars literally and figuratively and survived. Until it caught fire. Edward and Rena had saved most of the livestock, but the roof was a total loss. He and his father, God rest his soul, had rebuild part of it, then the war had come. 

He scuffed the ground as he stared at it. What good was the building anymore anyway? It was not like they had any livestock left to keep in it. The war was raging across Europe, they had been lucky so far, not far from town but secluded enough from others. He feared their luck would soon run out from the intelligence he had been hearing. 

“Rena!” He called again, his wife finally looked up from the bucket she was emptying. She was a pretty thing, he had wanted her from the first time he had laid eyes on her. Dark chestnut hair, a slim body, but curves in all the right places and sparkling brown eyes. Her face was open and trusting with a button nose and a cleft chin. She turned heads wherever they went. With all those good looks came a cost, a temper, a silver tongue, and the stubbornness of a mule which he had yet to break her of. 

Serena’s head jolted up at the sound of Edward’s approach. She emptied the water from the bucket and tried to arrange her face into a smile. “Edward? What are you doing home?”

“There is talk of invasion, we’ll be in meetings until late tonight. I came home to get something to eat and some papers. What have I told you about being down here alone?”  
Serena suppressed the desire to roll her eyes at his condescending tone. She straighten the shirt of her sky blue dress, “I brought Beau with me,” She motioned to the briard laying against the grange in the late spring sun. He was a gift to Serena two Christmas’ ago. “And it’s the middle of the day I’m perfectly safe on my own property in the daylight.”

“We are at war Rena, a woman is safe nowhere, especially an English woman.” 

“My French is as good as yours if not better.” She snipped back annoyed at his hovering. 

He reached out and grabbed her arm harshly. “Damn you woman! Would you for once stop arguing with me!” He pulled her roughly back up the path toward the house, her tin bucket clattered to the ground behind her forgotten. 

 

\--

 

“Major, this is as close as I can get you.” The private’s voice sounded distant and full of regret as he circled the plane above the projected jump sight. “Troncais Forest should be a few miles north of here, you’ll meet your contact there.” She nodded they had been over this many times, they had expected to do this op in better weather and with more accuracy. Taking a deep breath, Bernie she stepped forward, her fingers sought out a small gold chain around her neck. The cool metal was a stark contrast to her sweating hands. Clutching it as her foot met thin air, and then she was falling. 

The wind hit her out of nowhere, she had done jumps before but not in this weather. Time was of the essence and they had no choice but to go tonight. Counting to twenty after jumping she pulled her rip cord feeling the familiar force pull her up hard almost knocking the air out of her lungs. It was pitch black, the wind burned her face as she felt herself get pelted by cold rain. She was falling into deep inky black, she prayed she didn’t end up in a tree like last time. 

She tried to keep the panic at bay by counting, she knew the impact should be coming in the next sixty seconds. It came in seventy three. She was at the mercy of gravity, her feet hit first, ploughing hard into a what felt like a log, sending her tripping. The weight of the air filled chute pulled her forward and she stumbled into a ruisseau before being pulled back up in the wind, a few feet later she finally settled. 

She waited, trying to get her bearings, it was a moonless night, being hidden by the clouds. Sitting up she tried to untangle herself when a searing pain caught her in the chest. “Fuck!.” She gasped, her hand flew to her side; she was familiar with the pain of cracked ribs. 

Rolling onto her knees she pulled a torch out of her pocket. Holding her breath she listened, nothing but silence, she took her chances and turned it on. Flicking it around she saw she was in a clearing in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. There were trees close by and she thanked god she was spared them. 

Staggering to her feet she shown the light forward, something gleamed up ahead. Taking a tentative step forward, her ankle protested and she bit down hard on her lip to stop from screaming out. It didn’t feel broken but she could tell it was swelling already. Slowly she started limping towards the shimmering of torch light; the reflection belonged to a window of an old grange that had seen better days. 

She pushed open a door that appeared to be newer than the rest of the grange and shone her light around, some old hay was stacked in a corner, a few pieces of wood and other odds and ends. Pulling her chute behind her she slipped off her rucksack and webbing and threw them towards the haystack, grimacing as she shook out the silk and flopped down on it. She was exhausted, cold and shivering. 

Something felt different under her bottom, reaching under the silk and into the hay she pulled up a sketch pad. Turning her light towards it she flipped through the pages, beautiful landscape scenes were sketched in careful pencil filling the pages. Bernie frowned, the last page was different, a street scene, it looked familiar, almost like a street in London she once knew and loved. She shook her head, whoever the artist was had talent. 

She shivered against the cold, replacing the pad she wrapped herself in the slightly damp silk of her parachute, willing her racing heart to slow. She’d rest a bit and start out in the early light. She’d be slower with her injured ankle and couldn’t risk leaving her torch lit at night. Turning it off she slowly gave over to the pull of sleep. 

 

\--

 

Serena woke just as the sun’s gentle rays were breaking over the trees. She rolled over and found the bed blissfully empty. Edward hadn’t come home last night, her lips tugged into a smile. She had escaped him for another night, her memory drawn back to teenage years and before the outbreak of war. She hadn’t wanted to get married so young but her father insisted. She was an only child and he was adamant that heirs were required for the family estate.

Jacob McKinnie, senior doctor at St. Mary’s had met a brilliant, handsome, and rich French medical student on his ward at the hospital in London and had invited him for dinner in a thinly veiled attempt at matchmaking. He and Serena got on like a house on fire. With her fiery personality and intellect she was at the very least his equal in debates and confrontations at the dinner table. 

Before she knew what was happening, at nineteen they were engaged. It wasn’t what she wanted, she had, deep down wanted to go to medical school those dreams were stripped away. She and her friend had made a pact, if they made it through their exams they would follow in Elizabeth Garrett Anderson’s footsteps and become doctors. It was not to be.

Edward was rough with her from the beginning, domineering and brash. She begged her father to not allow the marriage but he ignored her pleas. He told her he believed they were a good match. Before her wedding she had escaped to Fleet Street on the recommendation of her dear friend to purloin some diaphragms, as an act of rebellion to her father for not giving him the heir he believed was her sole purpose. 

Three years into their marriage and it had been blissfully childless despite Edward’s constant badgering and thrusting. She was slowly drifting back to sleep when she heard the front door bang open. Groaning she rolled out of bed and put on her dressing gown. “Rena!” She cringed. 

Descending the stairs in gite, she found her husband trying to get his muddy boots off in the hallway. “Edward?”

“Still in bed? At this hour? Stupid woman.”

She paused at the bottom of the stairs, “You’re drunk.”

“We had a bit to drink after the meeting.” He finally removed his boots swaying briefly before he lurched up the stairs pushing past her. He sneered at her as his eyes looked her  
up and down before he made a grab for the handrail to keep himself upright he gruffly pulled himself towards their bedroom. Sighing Serena followed him upstairs. 

Later after putting him to bed and getting herself dressed for the day she called Beau and headed down to the grange. She fallen in love with the little gite as soon as they visited during the summer they moved to France; she loved it more than her husband most days. When war broke out, they moved away from the town to where it was safer for the resistance. 

The grange was her true love, when they first came they had cattle, hens, ducks, and work horses. Then the fire happened, and the war advanced. Horses and cattle were conscripted for the war effort and the hens slowly died off, their main food supply now coming from the resistance themselves. They were well fed, but it came at an expensive cost. 

Edward grew tired of the barn after his father passed, he told Serena she was foolish spending all of her free time down in the old building but it was her sanctuary away from him and his tobacco tainted breath. Here she was free to watch the birds, cool her her toes in the ruisseau when it was hot, and sketch. She hid her pads underneath the hay where Edward would never look. He had found her drawing diminutive and dull. 

She missed the animals so, and vowed if they ever got through the wretched war she would get as many cows and calves as she could afford. Beau ran ahead of her, she lifted her petticoats higher to avoid the dewy grass. As she turned the corner and stepped out of the woods she could hear the dog barking and frowned, Beau was a quiet dog, having only heard him bark a handful of times before. She stopped when she got close, she could have sworn she shut the door yesterday. 

“Beau?” She called, the word dying in her mouth as a soldier stepped out of the barn. She froze, instinct told her to run, but she noticed the navy color of the British uniform. For a split second she was taken back to her beloved England, before she met Edward, playing in the street with her adored friend. They would stand aside as children watching the soldiers march by, headed for the front lines. She hadn’t thought of that time in years. She paused. “Bonjour?”

The soldier jumped, his attention being pulled away from the barking dog to Serena standing at the edge of the clearing. Carefully he raised his palms as the dog slowly backed away. “Je suis désolé. Je semble être perdu.”

Serena narrowed her eyes, the French was passable but the accent was not, “I do hope you learn a better accent if you don’t want to be found out. Although that uniform is a dead giveaway.”

Brown eyes snapped up at her in surprise, “You’re British?”

Serena nodded curtly and slowly approached, “Are you armed?”

“And if I was?”

Serena cocked an eyebrow, “I asked you a question,” She squinted, “Major.”

“I’m impressed.” She gestured to her hip, “I have a pistol on me, don’t worry I don’t plan on shooting you Miss…”

“Mrs Campbell.” She watched as the man limped forward, suddenly realising it was a woman standing before her, not a man as she first thought. She was tall and slender, with her blonde hair pulled back under her cap she could pass as a man. “Where did you come from?”

A slow grin appeared on her face, she pointed up, “Would you believe me if I said heaven.” 

Serena let out a bark of laughter, “Parachute in last night?” She nodded, “You’re lucky to be alive with that weather.” She strode up to her no longer feeling afraid. “Looks like you have a few bumps and bruises.”

“It wasn’t the smoothest of landings…”

“I can imagine.” The woman looked up into her face and Serena froze. “Oh, oh my god!”

Bernie frowned pushing her cap back and staring up into the woman’s open face. She was beautiful, deep warm eyes, soft brown hair that was braided down her back, a pleasing nose and a cleft chin. Bernie suddenly stiffened. “Serena?”

“B-Berenice..?”

They stood awkwardly in the bright sun gaping at each other. “It can’t be. I must have hit my head.”

“What are you doing here?” Serena reached forward, coming to her senses her arms sliding around Bernie’s shoulders pulling her to her chest, she immediately let go when she heard the other woman’s sharp intake of breath. 

“I think I cracked some ribs too.” 

Keeping a gentle hand around her waist she helped Bernie limp back into the barn pulling out an old milking stool and having her sit. “Berenice, I-I thought you were dead, what are you doing here of all places?”

“I could ask you the same Serena.” She fiddled with a piece of straw between her fingers. “In the middle of Vichy, in France of all places!”

“I-I got married, to a Frenchman; a doctor. Daddy implored and we moved here a few years ago, before…”

Bernie perked up, a Vichy doctor who might have inside info. “Before the war started.” She finished. 

Serena nodded kneeling next to Bernie taking her hands in hers her face full of wonder, “I can’t believe you’re here, am I dreaming?”

Bernie let out a bark of laughter, “I hope not. That would mean I am too.” She felt a sinking in the pit of her stomach, if Serena was married to a Vichy officer that means she must be working for the enemy, for the Nazis, the Serena she remembered would never do such a thing. “How long have you been working for the Vichy?”

She pulled a face, “It’s Edward, honestly Berenice, I don’t know how he does it and I’m at a loss of what to do myself.”

Bernie searched her eyes, looking for a scrap of dishonestly. Finding nothing but earnest in her old friends eyes she sighed. “I ran away, as you know and I took myself to America on what my aunt had given me. I put myself through nursing school there and when the money ran out I came back. I worked in Dundee for a bit before going back to London. I tried to find you but…”

“I had moved here and daddy had died…”

Bernie nodded, “Everything was a dead end so I gave up. I was in the wrong place and the right time one night and over heard some things. I found myself giving that  
information over to the Allies. They found out my medical background and my willingness to do some dirty work. Who would suspect a female nurse of being a British spy? I’ve had good luck and well, here I am.”

Serena stared at her with her mouth open dumbfounded, “Wait…you’re not…The White Wolf.”

Bernie’s eyes widened at the nickname, “You’ve heard of me?”

“Heard rumours, about a stunning woman selling secrets with that code name from my husband when he’s drunk but I never…never in a million years…”

Bernie gave her a crooked grin, “Surprise.”

Serena felt the tears sting in the back of her eyes. “Berenice… you have no idea, these past ten years how I’ve worried, how I’ve wondered. I thought you had died.” Despite the broken ribs Serena gently clung to Bernie.

“I was lucky, it wasn’t easy…times could be hard but here I am.” She let her hand fall to Serena’s silken hair gently running through it. She closed her eyes at the feeling.

“You shouldn’t have done it.”

“Serena,” Bernie squeezed her hands tightly, “My father wanted me to marry Marcus, I couldn’t do it. It would have killed me.”

Serena remembered the old man Berenice’s father had picked out for his daughter. He was twenty years older that Berenice, the despair in her friend’s eyes saying she would rather be dead than be touched by any man. She told her of her plan to take the few hundred pounds her dead aunt had left for her in her will and run away. She didn’t believe she would actually do it until she did. She remembered clutching her tightly one night, Berenice telling her she loved her and that she would write. She had never seen her again. 

Nodding Serena looked down at their intertwined hands, seeing the scratches on her friend’s knuckles, “Now what?”

“Now, I head north, if my calculations are correct I have about twenty miles to go to meet my rendezvous.”

“You can’t leave! Look at yourself, you can barely walk.”

“I’ve had worse.” She let go of Serena’s hands and stood on shaky legs. 

“Berenice you are not leaving here.” Her fingers dug into her ankle and Bernie yelped quickly sitting back down on the stool. She slowly rotated the ankle. “It seems like bad  
sprain. If you stay here for a few days and heal you’ll be better in the long run.”

“Your husband is Vichy, I can’t stay here.”

“Of course you can, he never comes down here, we can put you up in the loft he’ll never be the wiser. Have you eaten?”

Bernie sighed, “Serena…”

“Please?” She turned her big doe eyes to her friend, “You owe me for disappearing all those years ago.”

The thought of leaving Serena did weigh heavily on her, she had missed her greatly and thought of her often but if she stayed she not only endangered herself and her mission but also Serena. “I can’t, it's time sensitive. I have to leave and I can’t put you in danger.”

“Please, it's so dull here and having you here even for a few days after so long… Edward is passed out drunk. He won’t be up for hours. Let me go scrounge some food and we can eat. And I have some makeshift bandages in the cottage to strap up that ankle of yours. Please Berenice?”

Bernie sighed, Serena was looking at her with such hope in her eyes she couldn’t say no. 

 

\--

 

The air had warmed considerably when Serena returned with fruit, ham, cheese and bandages for Bernie’s ankle. Edward was still snoring when she left the cottage, for that she was grateful. The foot and ankle were puffy but not horribly swollen. Serena bandaged her tightly before helping her slip her boot back on. “Perhaps, since you’re staying here a few days.” She shot Bernie a pointed look, “You should change out of your uniform? It would attract less notice if someone were to find you.” 

“I should, yes.” She reached for her pack, “You don’t happen to have any more bandages do you? I’m afraid my ribs hurt worse than my ankle right now.”

Serena reached into the basket and pulled out more long strips of cotton. She tried to avert her eyes as Bernie peeled off her shirt but it was hard to look away. In place of a brassiere she was surprised to see a bind over her breasts. Bernie shot her a lopsided grin, “It's easier for me to pass as a man alone, less questions.”

Serena nodded wordlessly and cringed when she saw the large purple bruising coloring Bernie’s left side. “Berenice…”

“Bernie, please. Berenice is just too…”

“It's beautiful.” Serena said, her face heating as her fingers trailed against her side tightening the strips. Once dressed again, they both sat in the sun and ate. They talked about their lives, Serena about her boring existence and her longing to return home and the constant fear of the government. Bernie of her loneliness and her adventures. 

“I think after the war, if I live to see it I’d love to find a small village and live there for a few years. In the peace and quiet. When I was in America I took a train to St. Louis, I was there for a month working in a hospital. It’s a whole different world out there, land as far as you can see and a river so wide and traitorous many have died trying to master it.”

“You’d move to America?”

Bernie shrugged, “If we don’t win this war we might not have a choice.”

Serena hummed, her fingers playing with Beau’s ears, his head resting in her lap. She glanced up at the sun which was now high in the sky. She sighed, “I better head up to the house. Edward will be awake soon.” She pulled a blanket from the very bottom of her basket. “Here, for tonight. I know the nights here can get chilly.”

“Thank you Serena.” They smiled at each other, both loathed to move. 

“Promise me you’ll be here in the morning?”

Bernie smiled. “I promise.” She found she still couldn’t deny Serena anything.

Serena stood and handed Bernie some bread and cheese wrapped in a cloth, “I’ll try to sneak away later but I’m not sure Edward will let me out of his sight.”

“Its okay, go on. I’ll be fine, just don’t let him suspect anything.” 

Serena nodded, she leaned close and kissed Bernie’s cheek. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Bernie smiled, “Me too.” She watched Serena and Beau until they were out of sight, raising her hand to wave when Serena stopped at the tree line and looked back. She sighed, what was she going to do? 

Serena was right, she was too injured to travel at the moment but her team was waiting for her. Could she stay? What if Serena was found out, her husband seemed far up in the Vichy line of command, it could be death for both of them. Her heart clenched at the thought. 

She had never let on to Serena how she felt all those years ago, how she longed of her. Instead she ran, fearing being forced to marry and fearing losing her best friend. She was a coward, but now? Perhaps fate had other plans. She turned and looked behind her at the looming old barn and smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and of course Iordio
> 
> Come gush about Berena with me on tumblr! I’m lesbianishstuff on there

Serena had set dinner down at the table when there was a knock at the door. She jumped almost spilling the soup she was ladling into Edward’s bowl. “What are you so jumpy about woman?!” He all but bellowed.

She cringed, she hated when he called her by a pronoun. She sat down nervously at the table as Edward went to the door her mind drifted Bernie. Her fear rising by the minute. They spoke in hushed tones, she strained to hear but could only make out certain words. She watched the door shut and quickly took a mouthful of soup.  
She heard the car motor start and the gravel crunch as the car left. “Pierre is heading over to pick up Arnaud and as soon as he’s back I’m leaving.” He sat down and quickly began eating what was in front of him. “I’ll be gone tomorrow and probably the day after. I don’t want you leaving the house.”

“What? Why?” Serena did her best to control her breathing, she could feel her cheeks heating.

“The White Wolf. There’s rumours that she’s in the area carrying out reconnaissance for British Intelligence; looking to find our HQ. She’s armed and dangerous. Stay in the house, do you hear me?” snarled Edward.

Serena swallowed hard, “Yes, yes of course Edward.”

He smirked, “You look scared Rena, perhaps for once you’ll do as you’re told.”

“Yes Edward.” She let her spoon absentmindedly stir her cooling soup. “Ha-have they said where she is and what she wants exactly?”

His eyes flicked over to her, tilting his head at her interest, “No, we haven’t heard an exact location, they are thinking south of here. Why the interest?”  
Serena raised an eyebrow, “Really, Edward, a woman spying for the British government, slitting throats left and right. It’s like something out of a mystery novel, you can’t blame me for being curious.”

“Nosey is more like it.” He pushed his bowl back and stood from the table, the oak chair scraping across the stone floor as he went to reach for his coat and cap. He unlocked a drawer in his desk and pulled out his mallette. He dropped a kiss on her head, “Stay in the house, I’ll be back hopefully tomorrow night with the Wolf’s scalp.” 

Forcing down the bile that rose in her throat she watched him slip on his coat and leave the house. She heard the car come back up the drive and she forced herself to wait. She could hear the men talking outside and then finally heard it drive away. With great effort she made herself clean the table, straighten the room and sweep the floor.  
Finally, when she was sure he wasn’t coming back she slipped over to the desk draw using the key Edward conveniently had left lying next to it. She took note of how the papers were arranged and then locked the drawer again. The sun was dipping behind the trees as she ran down to the barn, her legs shaking as she pushed the door open. 

“Berenice? Bernie!” She called, her voice sounded odd even to her own ears.

“Serena?” Came a rough voice from above.

She looked up to see Bernie’s head pop out over the lofts edge. “Edward’s gone, the Vichy officers know you are in the area. I don’t know what to do, if you should stay hidden here or leave.”

“Hold on.” She carefully made her way down the ladder. “Start from the beginning.” She listened as Serena recounted what she had seen and overheard. “Serena, could I see what is in that desk drawer?”

She nodded, “He won’t know, as long as we put it all back in order.”

Bernie nodded reaching for her pack buried in the hay, as she pulled it out Serena’s sketch book fluttered to the ground. 

“Oh.”

Bernie smiled and handed it to her, “These are amazing Serena.”

She blushed, turning crimson to her ears, “It's just something to pass the time.”

“They are beautiful, I didn’t mean to pry but I found them by accident last night, the street scene, I knew I looked familiar, it's our street isn’t it?”

Serena blushed and nodded, “I’ve missed you so Berenice. Living on that street with you were some of the happiest days of my life.”

Bernie pulled her close ignoring the pull of her ribs, “I’ve missed you too, I’ve thought of you every day since I left. I’m sorry I had to do it, but I had no choice. I couldn’t, I wouldn’t marry a man.” She nuzzled her nose into Serena’s soft hair, breathing in her once familiar scent feeling the peace wash over her. 

“Promise me you won’t leave me again.” The brunette murmured into her shoulder. 

Bernie felt her heart tighten, “I can’t promise you that Serena, you know that as well as I do.” She pulled back at let her fingers gently stroke Serena’s cheek, “I can promise you that I’ll come back. I’ll find you again Serena, I promise.” Looking up at her with those warm brown eyes Bernie made herself stop from leaning down and kissing her. She squeezed her tight with her left arm before letting go, she reached up around her neck and carefully took off the gold chain from around her neck, “It’s a medal of Saint Michael,” She slipped it around Serena’s neck, “Keep it safe for me.”

“Bernie I can’t take your medal.” Her fingers immediately reached up and tangled in the chain, her fingers running over the pendant. 

“I want you to have it, and when we see each other again after the war, you’ll give it back to me.” She gently pressed her lips to Serena’s cheek, “Come on Madame Campbell, we have work to do.” 

They took Bernie’s rucksack, Serena’s sketch book, and her repacked parachute and headed for the house. Bernie’s hand slipped into Serena’s for the walk up to the house in the dying light.

With the bandages bracing her ankle Bernie found she could move better than she expected. Pushing the door open to the house Serena made her sit at the table while she unlocked the drawer. Bernie glanced around taking in the tidy space, the gite was homely and smelled of Serena. 

She puttered around getting Bernie a hot meal as she watched her take pictures of the documents in the drawer. She rearranged them as they were and locked it back up.  
“Serena, I have to move tonight, they know I’m close and with this information…” She gestured to the drawer not voicing what she had found, “We have to move quickly.”

“They think you are headed south, couldn’t you stay a few more days?”

Bernie smiled forlornly at her, the sight of her leaning against the stove made her heart warm, how she missed this girl, woman she corrected herself, Serena was very much a woman. “I wish I could darling but it's too dangerous, for me and now for you.” The enduring term slipped out before she could stop it, her heart fluttered at the warm look that crossed Serena’s face. 

“Sit down, eat.” Serena sighed in defeat and pulled out the chair. “When do you have to leave?” 

“I’ll leave just before dawn, I’ll have some light to travel in, hopefully I can make it before evening.” She pulled out a map from her rucksack and double checked her marks.

Serena’s hand reached for Bernie’s laying on the table next to her soup bowl. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”

Their eyes met, “Always Serena, always.” She squeezed her back. “This one shouldn’t be too hard, compared to Casablanca.”

“Casablanca? As in Africa?” Serena’s eyes lit up at the thought and Bernie felt her heart melt as she launched into the story. They spent the next hour talking about Bernie’s adventures and their hopes for the future. 

Serena put slices of what was left of the ham, some cheese and fruit and placed it in Bernie’s rucksack. Bernie watched her flit around the kitchen, the warm feeling in her chest blossoming. Secretly, she imagined that this was their house, there was no war, no husband, and no fear. 

“Berenice, would you stay with me, until you leave?” She paused, drying her hands on the tea towel, “Upstairs?”

Swallowing hard, Bernie nodded, they climbed the stairs together, while Serena was standing at the wash stand pouring the water from the jug into the bowl to continue her ablutions, Bernie laid her clothing out for the morning, thick wool pants, shirt and vest with a cap. Without close inspection she would look like a young labourer looking for work wherever he could find it. 

She redid bandages on her chest and ankle and hovered by the bed. Serena stepped out wearing a long white cotton dressing gown and Bernie had to remind herself to breathe. Her long hair freed and flowing over her shoulders and down her back in waves, “You look beautiful.” She said before she could stop herself and watched her friend blush.  
Ducking her head she slid past her she stepped to the wash stand and emerged in a in a man’s shirt that came to her knees to find Serena already in bed. She silently slipped into bed next to her and was pleasantly surprise when Serena snuggled up next to her. 

Serena traced one of the buttons on Bernie’s night shirt, she chewed on her lip nervously. The need to voice her fears was crawling up her throat again. “When the war is over will you promise to come back to me?”

Bernie pulled her closer her fingers tracing a pattern on her back by will of their own, “Of course,” She paused, taking a shuddering breath, “But what about your husband.”  
Serena shook her head, “Don’t worry about him.” She gripped Bernie’s shirt, “Just come back to me, to the barn, and if I’m not there on the north east corner, down at the bottom there is a loose stone, I’ll leave a letter with where I am if I can’t be here.”

“I’ll come back for you.” Bernie stroked Serena’s hair, letting the silken strands slide through her hair, trying to memorise her smell and her feel to take with her, she dropped a kiss into her hair. Serena tried to fight sleep, and did for a bit before the sound of Bernie’s gentle breath lulled her. She tightened her grip on Bernie’s waist snuggling her nose in her chest. She remembered warm lips pressing to her forehead and whispers in her ear before the sun spilled across the bed. 

She reached for Bernie only to find the bed cool. A note lay next to her head. “I’ll see you soon. – Love Always, Your Berenice.” Serena pulled the note to her chest, her fingers found the chain around her neck and she let the tears fall.

 

\--

 

It took Bernie almost twelve hours to reach her rendezvous; exhausted she passed off the film and quickly was debriefed, before she was offered a hot bath and a bed. Unpacking her clothes a folded piece of paper fluttered to the floor, picking it up she unfolded a sketch of the barn, it was so realistic she could almost reach out and touch it. She smiled reading the inscription on the back. “Come back to me, X, Yours Serena.”

 

\--

 

Three years later

 

Bernie pressed a few franks into the driver’s hand and slowly got out of the taxi, this was as close as he could get her. Leaning heavily on her walking cane she started the long walk down the drive, ducking into the woods she took a deep breath of the clean fresh air, it was so peaceful here compared to the ruins of Pairs and the surrounded cities she had been in the past few weeks. 

There wasn’t much of a path anymore and the weather was dreary and raining, the good weather of the early spring had given away to showers, making everything muddy and slick. The brace on her leg bit into her as she stumbled over the uneven ground. 

Finally, after what felt like hours she stepped into the clearing, a smile tugged at her lips. The barn hadn’t changed at all, the same burnt out roof, and straight strong walls that welcomed her all those years ago. 

Her heart raced as she pushed the door open, she held her breath, it was empty save for a few hens who squawked at her invasion. She felt her heart drop, no Serena. Heading for the north east corner she dropped awkwardly to her knees and removed the stone, nothing was inside.

She felt the panic well up inside, what if something had happened to her, what if she had got taken by the allies cleaning up the area and couldn’t leave word.  
Bernie had sent her a letter last year, a page ripped from the bible, with a quote underlined in pencil John 14:3 ‘And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.’ It was the only way she could think to let Serena know she was okay. With the way the war was raging she didn’t know if it had ever reached its intended recipient.

What if she…. Suddenly there was a dog barking. She pushed herself up and all but ran for the door. 

She froze in the doorway, Serena was coming down the hill a basket on one arm calling out for Beau. She stopped when she saw Bernie, the air rushing from her lungs. She looked like a painting, she watched her eyes raked up and down, pausing on the leg brace and cane. For a moment Bernie felt the shame well up from deep within her.

“Berenice?” She called out, her voice like a balm to her exhausted soul. Dropping her basket, hitching her skirts and running towards her. “Oh thank god! Berenice!”

“Serena.” She whispered dropping her cane and opening her arms, “You’re here.” The force of her in her arms almost knocked her off her feet, she didn’t care. Her arms lifting her off the ground despite her protesting back. 

“Oh my darling.” She pulled her close letting her nose bury in her neck and breathing her in. “I was so worried! I heard… they said.” Her tears were hot against Bernie’s neck, she just squeezed her tighter. 

“Lies, all of it lies. I was shot yes,” She motioned to her leg, “I’ll live.” She wiped away Serena’s tears, “We’ll live.”

“Oh Berenice.” She stepped back and looked her up and down before her tears started anew, still not believing she was here, “Edward will stand trial, I was waiting, hoping you’d… Oh you’re here!”

Bernie nodded pulling Serena close again, “I’m here.” Grasping hands they walked into the barn out of the rain and sunk down in the hay. “I would have been here sooner but the leg slowed me down, I tried to get here as soon as I could, but I was held up in Paris.” 

She fished into her pocket and pulled out a small amethyst ring. She blushed as she held it out to Serena, “I saw this at a souk in Morocco when I went back, I thought of you.” Her hands trembled as she held it out to Serena. “I’m never leaving again Serena, if you’ll have me.”

Serena’s fingers let go of the metal she as toying with around her neck and brushed the tears off of Bernie’s cheeks, “I’ll have you forever.” She whispered bringing their lips together.


End file.
